Engineers union files charges, accuses Boeing of harassment

October 08, 2012|Reuters

(KEVIN LAM, REUTERS)

(Reuters) - A union representing engineers and technical workers at Boeing Co accused the airplane maker of videotaping members marching for contract talks, seizing their cameras and deleting photos, and said on Monday it had filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

A local of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace filed two charges against Boeing on Friday after receiving complaints from members who said Boeing videotaped or took workers' cameras during lunchtime marches in Portland, Oregon and Everett, Washington.

Boeing's contract with 23,000 unionized engineers at facilities in the Puget Sound area of Washington state, Portland, Utah and California expired on October 6. The two sides are scheduled to continue talks on a new contract on Wednesday.

The union's executive director, Ray Goforth, in a statement said videotaping workers was "nothing more than intimidation and harassment."

A Boeing spokesman said he had no comment because the company has not heard from the NLRB.

Boeing said last week that should talks go beyond October 6, the contract would terminate on November 25 because SPEEA had filed a 60-day termination notice.